Seven APC governors ask Buhari to run in 2019

Seven All Progressives Congress (APC) governors have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

The governors met the president on Friday at the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja.

Those present at the meeting are Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Abubakar Bello of Niger states.

Others are Simon Lalong of Plateau, Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe and Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa states.

All the governors, except Mr. Lalong, attended the Friday Muslim prayers with the president at the villa. They later had lunch together.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Mr. El-Rufai said they were at the villa because they were “politicians”.

“Those of us you see here want the president to contest the 2019 election; we have no apologies for that,” he said.

“We believe in Mr. President, we want him to continue running the country in the right direction. People can speculate about 2019; we have no apologies.”

Mr. El-Rufai said the governors, mostly first termers, were interested in “continuity and stability”.